When The Irishman Came to Stay
by Mainxz
Summary: Jatlas. School AU In which Atlas comes to stay with the Ryan family until Graduation and is immediately smitten with Jack. Also Jack and Elizabeth are best friends. Slow building relationship. Is gonna be really long probably, rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

**Mildly overused AU in which Atlas comes to stay with the Ryan family for student exchange programs and Jack is salty and Atlas is way too charming.**

Walking home was never easy, too quiet for my tastes and I was always on the watch for someone to grab me. Being the son of Andrew Ryan had no benefits if you weren't the captain of the football team I suppose, but that wasn't too bad. I'm not sure I'd even want the company.

Every other time I'd come home it would be quiet, maybe my mother would be in a great mood and would be cooking something, we'd have the fire department on speed dial, or my father would have a colleague or Sander Cohen over; but it was never as loud as it had been that day. There was a lot of talking that I could hear from the other side of the door, mainly from my mom. That was one of the more endearing things about her.

I walked in, put my bag down and almost disappeared into my room before I noticed our 'guest'. I could've picked him out of a line up of 30 different men he was so uniquely...pretty. It's really the only right way to describe him. He was tall, taller than me with messy black hair and impossibly blue eyes. He must've caught me looking because he smiled over at me. Real casually, like "oh yeah, I know I'm hot. People stare at me all the time no big." _Oh my god,_ _J_ _ack stop_ _being weird._ I screamed at myself, unconsciously fiddling with my sweater.

"What's going on? Who's he?" I asked pointing at him; all talking stopped, everyone in the room stared at me and I flushed.

"Jack, this is uh..." my father started, I rolled my eyes _he probably forgot his name already_.

"Atlas! M'names Atlas." Said the ridiculously handsome one, seemingly not bothered by having his name forgotten and I'm guessing he felt as awkward right now as I do. "Ah'm here for a student exchange program. I plan to be here until graduation." _plan to?_ How freaking polite and some kind of European accent that I really like. English? Irish? Fucking Scottish?

He held out his hand and I shook it.

"I'll um, I'll show you to your room, which is probably my room. He's bunking with me right, uh Father?" and I cringed saying it. I always hate calling him dad, or father or papa. I know I shouldn't, it's just an incredibly weird situation.

Then we were left alone and it was awkward. Really awkward. We walked down the hall to where he'd be staying for the next 3 years if we're the same age.

"So Boy-o-" He began, even more awkwardly. _Oh god, this is so tense._ "What's a boy-o?" I joked, trying to make it less _weird._ Thankfully he laughed.

"Term for a friend. I figured its best we get acquainted, yeah?"

"Yeah...Where are you from?" Time to play twenty questions, Jackie.

"Ireland, I lived in Belfast prob'ly won't mean much to ya but that's where I was. By the way, where'd your parents go?"

I shrugged, "Out and about, having fun on the town." before the whole Ireland think processed.

"Ireland, really? Shit, what's it like? Up there I mean, I've never been topside before at all and-Sorry I'm rambling...And oh here we are!" _thank god_. "This is where you'll stay, and where I stay. I mean of course it is, you'll like it here I'm sure. The schools pretty great. The teachers, and a lot the students too now that I think about it, are kind of full of themselves and rude but hey that's Rapture for you!" I spread my arms out in a you-get-a-brand-new-car gesture.

We walked into my (our?) room and almost immediately flopped down on my bed. "You fuckin' serious?" he said, almost doubling over laughing. I sat up in mock-offense and grinned, knowing exactly what he was thinking "Yeah, what's wrong? It'll be fun, like a sleepover! Yeah, we can talk about boys and braid each others hair!" and then added seriously, fast and low like a secret. "Well, my father has _serious_ trust issues. I mean, we have guest rooms but...he wouldn't let any gross teenagers, like you and me in them. Those are for show, it sounds ridiculous but it's true."

"You're cute." It was sudden and completely out of place. I wasn't prepared with my usual go-to if someone says something nice, and I choked on air a little bit. Out of shock, mainly.

"C-cute?" I spluttered.

"Yes, cute." and then he was inching closer, "What, no ones ever chatted you up before? I find that hard to believe." feeling completely overwhelmed because, no I haven't been flirted with and I'm so inexperienced, that I had no idea he even _was_ flirting.

"Well...You're-you're not so bad yourself." I mumbled nervously, my voice muffled with my face in my hands and blushing down to my shoulders. "I'm sorry. I just, um I don't really-I don't have any-I'm not good with people." he took my hands away from me, probably so he could see my face lifted my chin.

Then he kissed me, _probably to shut me up,_ and added " _A_ s _I was saying-_ I find you very cute and sweet. You're also quite funny, and my point is that I'd like to take you out somewhere. As a date. My treat, I have some cash my lovely parents gave me for spendin'."He pulled out a wad of rumpled of bills as proof. I rolled my eyes but I was still smiling, I've actually never felt so flattered.

"Really, is this what you meant by 'Getting Acquainted'? This is ridiculous. Where would you even take me? You've never even been here before." I deadpanned.

"Pick somewhere." He gave me a smile and a gesture, "Oh c'mon, boy-o s'just an amazing opportunity for two 'ncredibly attractive charming people to get to know each other." I had to forcibly stifle a laugh. _well someone thinks highly of himself,_ I thought. "Please, don't make me beg, 'cause I will." he added sounding completely serious. I finally gave in.

I gave a completely defeated sigh "Fine. Alright, its free food if nothing else, I guess." I muttered, "Take me out, whatever. It's not like I ever do anything with my time." Atlas settled himself into a lot of self-congratulating. "You're a literal insane person." and that was the last thing I'd said to him for the night. Physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted I lay back down and immediately slept like the dead.


	2. Chapter 2

**When the Irishman Came To Stay.**

 **Chapter Two.**

 **/**

The next morning when Atlas woke up, by an obnoxious alarm, Jack was already downstairs in the kitchen. There he was making breakfast and coffee for everyone. When he saw Atlas he smiled, genuinely smiled. Then he saw the two ladies seated at the kitchen table. One of them being Jasmine Ryan, the other being a young girl about his age with black hair down to her shoulders and a choker with a broach of a birdcage around her neck. _Who is that?_ He thought _I thought he didn't speak to anyone._ Then he shrugged and seated himself between the two, ignoring the scandalous looks.

"Oh, hey!" Jack said, and then "Yeah, I forgot you guys don't know each other! Atlas," He added gesturing grandly to the girl with the black hair that he'd been wondering about. "Is Liz, she's my best friend. Technically she's my only friend but that's alright because she's just...a freakin' peach I love her to death."

Elizabeth started laughing then retorted, holding her hand out to Atlas in gesture for a handshake. "My name's Elizabeth Dewitt. My friends, and my dad, call me Liz and seeing that Jack seems to like you; you can call me Liz too." He nodded and shook her hand across the table. He mumbled, "S'too early for this shit." under his breath and lay his head on the table. _Just for a few minutes,_ he thought to himself.

"Oh, you're totally right Jack, he _is_ handsome!." Elizabeth said, looking over at the-already-napping Irishman. Then she half-joked, "If he hurts you, I'll have my father break his legs. He can make it look like an accident. He used to do that for a living, you know." Jack pulled a face as he set down the bacon, eggs, toast and pancakes on the kitchen table and said, "It's not a big deal" Even though it really was to him, it was a really big fucking deal."It's just a stupid date." he added, like he hadn't gotten his first kiss from that boy and might be going on his first date. Just like he wasn't exploding on the inside.

"Oh, baby thanks for helping me with breakfast! You're the best." his mother said and squeezed his shoulder. He smiled in kind. "Oh, it's really not a big deal, mum." Jack half-dismissed half-thanked. It's not like his mother had any domestic skills, so he always felt inclined to help her out. (take over.)

Jack tapped Atlas on the shoulder, when he didn't respond he shook him more-than-a-little violently. Finally, finally he responded. "Hey! We have to go to school today, and everyday after the next nine months."

"Shit, alright" he replied, a little put-off. "Wait, boy-o y' made food?" Atlas added, almost salivating from the sight of something other than airplane peanuts and diet coke. He had forgotten to eaten after he'd gotten to Rapture, he was too distracted by the family and by Jack. As he made a move for it, Jack smacked his hand and Atlas gave him a kicked-puppy kind of look.

"Go change into real clothes first, you look something awful."

"Alright, alright. Ah'll get to it if yeh'r g'nna withhold _food_ fro' me." and Jack bit his hand so he wouldn't laugh at Atlas huffing off like a small child.

"His accent gets thicker when he's mad" Jasmine noted, adjusting the bust of the pinstripe slip-dress she wore for work. She took a half-slice of buttered toast and walked as fast she could in heels out the door. "Have a good day at school today, hun! You too Liz, tell your dad I said hi!" she yelled, with one foot outside the building.

"Okay," She started, leaning in conspiratorially, "Did he really just meet you, and then four hours later kiss you and ask you out?" Liz whistled low, and he rolled his eyes because _of course he did, I just told you!_ "You're a real charmer, Jack Ryan" Jack pulled a face at that.

"Yeah, he did. I'm not a...charmer." all he got for that was a punch in the shoulder by his best friend.

"Stop self-deprecating, kay. You're so cute, who wouldn't immediately fall in love with you and sexually harass you into dating?" she reached out and grabbed his hand and squeezed it painfully hard.

"Ow, ow, Liz stop!"

"I will stop when you say you love yourself"

"No!" and then, "Okay, okay I love myself. ow..." he rubbed his wrist, _Jesus she's strong._ He thought, shaking his wrist to get the pain out. Then, at the strangest possible moment for the second time today Atlas walked in on a kind of weird situation.

"I'm dressed an' ready for the day, can I eat now?" He deadpanned and plead simultaneously.

"Yeah, of course." Jack said, with a nervous chuckle "Welcome to the Ryan house."

"So this is It?" Atlas questioned in disbelief, "This is the _fuckin' private school_? Didn't think it'd look so...decrepit." with a quick look at Jack and Elizabeth, who were shrugging noncommitally.

"It looks like shit," Liz finally said, "But the educations great, and they do scholarships here. That's how I got to go here."

"Wh'bout you Boy-o?" He asked Jack with a smile.

"Oh me? Nah, I'm just old money. C'mon let's go." Jack replied, grabbing his arm, leading him into the old building.

The school itself, at least to Atlas was way too pretentious for his tastes. The students were rude and that was putting it nicely; on multiple occasions he'd called a few Fraternity Assholes-in-training for bumping into him accidentally-on-purpose. The teachers were condescending and he was smart enough to notice it even when they tried to be subtle.

Even in the classes he had Jack or Liz with, and even with a few pretty blond types pseudo-soliciting him for something. He just itched to get the hell out. Then his elective period rolled around, Ceramics, and he couldn't wait to do something with his hands. That always helped when he wanted to fucking kill someone.

"Can you stop-" Jack started, and felt the need to shrink away. He loved school, he was good at it. He was smart, but he also hated it. Exactly for the reason that he was pressed up against his own locker with some, literally giant, 7 foot tall asshole named Johnny torturing him in every way possible for the third time since the school year started. It had started last week.

"You know what your fucking problem is?" Asshole Johnny asked rhetorically, and Jack rolled his eyes at that.

"Well no but I'm sure you'll tell me." He spat back, with a little bit of blood mixed with vomit pooling in the back of his throat. This guy was a fucking psychopath and logically, he probably shouldn't antagonize him but fuck did it feel good when Jack could get the last word in. Johnny reeled back and punched him, and Jack hit his head against the locker hard, he saw black spots for a few seconds.

 _Shit,_ he thought as he slid down. Fading in and out of consciousness.

"Jack?! Boy-o, what the fresh fuckin' hell happened to ya?" and when Atlas pulled him up, he giggled and smiled lazily. His head lolled back and forth. "Hey...you're here." was all he could manage, with the taller black-haired male holding him like a rag doll in his arms. "Are we gonna go on that date now? Let's go, let's get hamburgers." he said with a few more delirious concussion-induced giggles.

Atlas snapped his fingers in front of Jacks face. "Stay awake, love alright?" he said, "Ah'll be getting' you to a nurse and once I find out you're okay we can go. Then we can do whatever you'll like"

And he did just that, he dragged him half-unconscious to the nurses office. Atlas couldn't tell you if you paid him why he liked Jack so much. Why he was so invested in him and so interested in making him smile and laugh but he sure as hell was.

Jack was finally awake he looked at Atlas in complete and utter confusion. "Why do you..." he started, and the Irishman raised an eyebrow with a cheeky smile. He looked over at the school nurse, an older woman who reminded him a little of someone he might've seen at home. She was holding a small flashlight directed at the brunette's pupil.

"He's good to go." She said curtly nodding over at Atlas. As he made his way to leave, take Jack out on a nice lunch date and make him smile again Jack put his hand up "Wait before we go… I have a question." he looked over at Atlas meaningfully.

"G'right ahead."

"Why are you being so nice to mean, why do you even like me?" He looked up at him, like he was expecting Atlas to go _Just kidding! I have no interest in you whatsoever, jokes on you._ The response instead was, "Not quite sure M'self boy-o, I just _do."_ he said, half-ignoring Jacks disbelieving look. "Ah mean, you've got the prettiest eyes I've seen and ya make great pancakes, that's gotta count fer somethin' right?" he looked over at Jack for the verdict and it was good.

"Alright you dork, take me out on the town. Woo me."

He _definitely_ planned to.


	3. Chapter 3

**When the Irishman Came To Stay: Chapter Three.**

As soon as he'd been medically cleared, Atlas had kept his word and gave him free reign on what they would do and where they would go. Jack immediately decided on dinner and a movie; it was easy for them and Atlas immediately agreed to it upon one condition; after they ate they would go to see _Dawn of The Dead_ much to Jacks dislike, it looked pretty cheesy in his own mind and he knew exactly why he was so gunge-ho on seeing a horror movie. _What a cliché,_ he thought, _He wants to take me to a horror movie so I'll get scared and cling to him,_ _the_ _dork._ He agreed anyways, if just to make his date happy.

They went to a quaint looking corner bistro that looked like only a few regulars ever frequented. When Jack told him, he pulled an are-you-sure face and Jack said "Yes, of course. I go here all the time, it's great." The Irishman trailed behind cautiously until he got a playful glare from Jack. "Come on!" he added, tugging Atlas along.

"So..." Atlas started, looking over at Jack who was jumping up and down in his seat fidgeting nervously. "Who was that asshole that hit y' Boy-o?" Jack winced at his tone.

"What did you see?" he asked Atlas with a cautious tone and Atlas very briefly considered saying "I saw everything." even though he had seen less than nothing in his own mind.

"Not much." He admitted gruffly while leaning back against his seat, white-knuckling the arms of his seat. "Ah! I did see y'fall down and I also saw y'concussed an' on yer ass, there's somethin' for ya." he added cheekily, sticking his tongue out.

"Oh..." He replied, "Well, Atlas it's kind of complicated." It wasn't complicated, not at all. Atlas put his hands up in a quasi-surrender gesture. "A'right boy-o I understand, won't bother ya about it again. If you'll answer one question for me"

Jack relented, "Fine."

"Where was your friend Elizabeth? I would have thought you'd walk home together."

"Oh, Liz? She has to go straight to her fathers office, she helps him out." Jack replied, "He's a private investigator, so the moneys not exactly great." He added, looking at Atlas' confused expression.

"Oh a'right then." That was a satisfactory, he thought and looked down at the bill and nodded, "Shall we?" he said, making a move to hold Jacks hand which he had no issue with whatsoever.

"This is awful" Jack whisper-told him, looking over at him with a mock-pout. The movie was not as amazing as Atlas had thought it would be, admittedly. "I will defend my honor." He replied, throwing popcorn at and into the brunettes mouth. They ended up laughing and kissing their way through the third act, almost getting thrown out at one point.

Walking back Atlas grabbed Jacks hand, receiving a questioning look from the other boy.

"What?" he asked cheekily, "I can't hold ya hand?"

"It's just that someone might get offended by our..." Jack trailed off, not exactly knowing how to put it.

"Gayness?" Atlas tried, half-jokingly. Jack nodded grimly, he already got enough shit about it at school, he didn't want to deal with it in his own free time. "Is that what yer so put out by, Y'think some ingnorant fuck'll be offended by our fuckin' happiness?"

"Well..." He replied, feeling pretty justified about it. Rapture may have been famed for enlightened people but that didn't mean that there weren't any morons who hated anyone that didn't act exactly like them. Actually, there were a lot of these people here.

Then, speak of the devil, one of the fraternity-asshole looking types Atlas had been so irritated by earlier today accidentally-on-purpose shoulder checked them. Saying, "Hey, why don't you watch were you're going?" completely rhetorically. He smelt like some kind of disgusting mixture between a brewery and a sewage disposal system.

"Why don't you?" Atlas countered, looking at the guy like he was dog-shit on the bottom of his shoe. "We have our right to walk down the street, just like everyone else."

"We should probably just go it's really not worth it." Jack tried, putting a reassuring hand on Atlas' shoulder. He looked over at his date and he was...smiling? _What the hell?_ He thought, _That's either an actual smile or an I'm-plotting-to-kill-you smile. Oh, dear._

"Yeah, well I don't want to have to look at that shit." Mr. date-raping jock replied. _I am the best person I can possibly be. I am the best person I can possibly be._ Jack thought.

Atlas groaned in absolute annoyance but he quickly recovered, "What's yer name?"

"Brent." he said, looking slightly taken aback. The Irishman chuckled, "Of course it is. Well, _Brent_ ," he added, before grabbing Jack by the shoulders and kissed him, the brunette was so surprised that he made a small 'oh' at the contact. When he pulled back he looked over at the, most likely, drunk to the point of alcoholic poisoning highschooler, "Y' should prob'ly get over it."

Brent made an attempt to punch him, and it landed on Atlas' nose. "Ah, shit." the Irishman muttered.

"That's it." Jack finally said, elbowing the drunk in the face effectively knocking him out. Atlas looked at Brent, at Jack and back at Brent again. "What?" Jack snapped, "He was going to attack us." giving an accusatory glance that changed into one of confusion when the Irishman broke out into laughter.

"I just...didn't realize you got violent."


End file.
